Sociology of Hollywood - Gerardo Marti - Davidson College - 2011

Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
DAVIDSON COLLEGE
Soc 380 Seminar
Sociology of Hollywood
Spring Semester, 2011
If you go looking for Hollywood, the sign won’t help you find it because
the place you’re looking for isn’t really there.
Richard Maltby, Hollywood Cinema, 2 nd Edition, 2003: 5.
Hollywood is a place you can't geographically define. We don't really know where it is.
John Ford, 1964; quoted in Bordwell et al., The Classical Hollywood Cinema, 1988: xiii.
Course: Sociology 380 -- Seminar: Sociology of Hollywood (3 units)
Time and Place: 1:30pm - 4:20pm Mondays, Chambers 1045
Prerequisite: First-year students admitted by permission of professor
Instructor: Gerardo Marti, Ph.D.
Phone Number: (704) 894-2481 (24 hour voicemail if unanswered)
My Office: Papers turned in outside of class go in my box in Sociology Dept in Chambers
Pre-Scheduled appointments meet in my office, Preyer 107
Email: gemarti@davidson.edu CubanBlood@usa.com
Office Hours: Tuesdays, Thursdays 10:00am – 12:00pm and by appointment.
Course Description
This seminar pursues a sociological analysis of the social space called “Hollywood,” a special case study of
a distinctive social community. Hollywood is more than geography; it is a vibrant, international network
of people producing entertainment for fame and profit. For the purposes of this class, we will focus our
sociological exploration on the genesis, operation, and influence of American Cinema. Class begins with
the construction of Hollywood: geographic beginnings, the studio system, Los Angeles as a regional center
for the “creative class,” industry occupations and role hierarchy, and financial realities. Throughout, the
class considers the broader effects of the entertainment industry on contemporary American society
including organizational innovations, complex relations between Hollywood and governmental/religious
institutions, local/national/international structures in film production and distribution, reciprocal effects
between media and consumers, and interrelationships between the entertainment industry and popular
culture. Finally, the course will give attention to celebrity and as well as cultural constructions of aesthetic
taste.
The course encourages and stimulates critical thinking beyond "common sense" interpretations of history
and culture. In dialogue with cross-disciplinary perspectives in history and film studies, the tone of this
course will be analytical with a conscientious use of sociological concepts. The course expands on Mark
Shiel’s ∗ proposal to develop “a sociology of motion picture production, distribution, exhibition, and
consumption.” The development of our knowledge of the Hollywood film industry will be historically
informed and empirically grounded. Cross-disciplinary readings will help address key issues in “the
operation of political, social, and cultural power in the urban centers of the present global system.” For
students, this provokes “a synthetic understanding of the objective social conditions of the production,
distribution, exhibition, and reception of cinema.” This is especially important since, as Andrew Tudor
(2000:192) states in an essay on sociology and film,
∗From “Cinema and the City in History and Theory” in Cinema and the City: Film and Urban Societies in a Global Context
(Studies in Urban and Social Change), Blackwell Publishers, 2001, see pp. 2-4.
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“Film, after all, is more than mere celluloid. It is socially constructed within a threecornered
association between film makers, film spectators, and the film texts themselves,
and at every point in that nexus of relationships we encounter negotiation and interaction
involving active social beings and institutionalized social practices. Sociology is the
intellectual resource best suited to probing that particular complex of social activity.”
Please note: The sociology of Hollywood is less concerned with the critical study of the products of the
institution (movies) than with the analysis of the cultural/commercial institution that comprises
“Hollywood.”
Also note that this course is writing and speaking intensive. Critical reading of texts, cogent writings,
articulate oral presentations, and full participation in dialogue are mandatory. Class assignments will
measure your ability to grasp and apply sociological perspective from readings and from information
emerging from class discussions. A critical book review and a thematic research paper provide
opportunities to pursue interests in greater depth. Full attendance is not only encouraged but expected.
Course goals for this course include:
• Apply the aims and objectives of sociological analysis,
• Know outstanding contemporary demographic characteristics of the Hollywood industry,
• Analytically construct reciprocal connections between broad social changes in the twentieth
century with changes in film industry,
• Demonstrate understanding of the changing organizational dynamics of film production and
distribution,
• Demonstrate understanding of labor relations and significant occupational issues in the film
industry over its history,
• Describe the political and/or social philosophy of various economic, civic, political, religious
leaders and movements shaping the development of the film industry in America,
• Analyze and provide examples of the significance of race and ethnicity in film industry both
historical and contemporary,
• Analyze and provide examples of the significance of religion in film industry both historical
and contemporary,
• Analyze the significance of celebrity in contemporary culture,
• Clearly discuss political economy theory and other current theoretical perspectives applied by
scholars understanding the film industry,
• Demonstrate understanding of the dynamics of globalization through the lens of Hollywood’s
worldwide presence and the affinities between Hollywood and fundamental changes in
contemporary society, and
• Develop analytical and critical thinking abilities in both written and oral forms in exploring
ideas, cultural artifacts, and current events as they relate to the motion picture industry.
Required Books & Readings for All Students:
• Richard Maltby. 2003. Hollywood Cinema. Second Edition. Blackwell.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
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• John Hill and Pamela Church Gibson (eds). 2000. American Cinema and Hollywood: Critical
Approaches. Oxford.
• Saverio Giovacchini. 2001. Hollywood Modernism: Film and Politics in the Age of the New
Deal (Culture and the Moving Image). Temple University Press.
• Gerald Horne. 2001. Class Struggle in Hollywood, 1930-1950: Moguls, Mobsters, Stars and
Trade Unionists. University of Texas Press.
• Shyon Baumann. 2007. Hollywood Highbrow: From Entertainment to Art. Princeton
University Press.
• Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a Los Angeles
Church. Rutgers University Press.
• Reserved readings available through the Davidson College library online, indicated by (R).
Books Required by Some, Recommended for All:
• A Selected Book Report Text from Syllabus as Agreed Upon with Instructor.
• Ruth Vasey. 1997. The World According to Hollywood, 1918-1939. University of Wisconsin
Press. [Half of class reads this text.]
• M. Pendakur. 1990. Canadian Dreams and American control: The Political Economy of the
Canadian Film Industry. Wayne State University Press. [Half of class reads this text.]
• F. Wasser. 2001. Veni, Vidi, Video: The Hollywood Empire and the VCR. University of Texas
Press. [Only one person will require this text.]
• Danae Clark. 1995. Negotiating Hollywood: The Cultural Politics of Actor’s Labor. University
of Minnesota Press. [Only one person will require this text.]
• Brenda R. Weber. 2009. Makeover TV: Selfhood, Citizenship, and Celebrity. Duke University
Press. [Only one person will require this text.]
• Lary May. 1983. Screening Out the Past: The Birth of Mass Culture and the Motion Picture
Industry (with a new preface). University of Chicago Press. [Only one person will require this
text.]
Specific Requirements:
Weekly Assignments
Major Papers
Note on Attendance
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
· Participation in Class Discussion 10%
· Analytic Pre-Discussion Papers 20%
· Critical Book Review 20%
· Thematic Research Paper Draft 20%
· Thematic Research Paper Final 30%
Total Grade = 100%
I expect you to come to class, that is to say, show up on time, stay the entire class period, and
participate fully in each class the whole time you are there. Students often ask me how many times they
are allowed to cut my class. The answer is that every absence will have a negative effect on your grade.
For one thing there are frequent analytical discussions and in-class writing. And if you are absent, you
can’t make up those experiences. If you arrive late for a class period, you won’t make up for the experience
either.
Please note: While student athletes may miss one class meeting in this semester for pre-scheduled
events, every student must find another student in class to obtain any material covered on days missed.
Please have event schedules provided to me at the beginning of the semester.
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I’m concerned about tardiness, too. Here’s how I handle it: pre-discussion papers and other
assignments are checked at the beginning of class. If you are late, I won’t accept your work. And if you
walk out early, I’ll return your work to you. Ungraded.
One more thing. three unexcused absences are sufficient grounds for failing this course.
I presume students can and will attend all or almost all classes, but may occasionally have a
legitimate reason to miss one class in the semester (extremely sick, family funeral, etc.). However, I am not
interested in adjudicating doctors' notes and other excuses. Come to class, and don't miss more than one, if
any. An unreasonable number of absences from class will definitely hurt one's final grade.
If you miss more than one class, you might want to have one or more excused. What is an excused
absence? For an absence to be excused, there must be three components: First, you must tell me ahead of
time when and why you will miss this class. Second, you must have a legitimate excuse (student athletic
events, class trips, sickness, weddings, funeral); please note that failed alarm clocks or other business
outside of this class are simply not excusable. Third, you must find another student afterward to make up
the work.
I’ve become a stickler about attendance. I want you here. I want you here on time. I expect you to
be attentive and participate actively the whole class period. I expect you to stay until the end of class.
Note on Participation
Attending class is an important part of your job, but it isn’t the whole story. Get actively involved
in the learning process. Don’t be a passive listener! Never underestimate the power you have to make a
positive impact on the energy and progress that we make as a class. If class is boring, lifeless, irrelevant, if
the dialogue falls flat, the students are not responsive, the professor talks too much, or the back row is
disrespectful, ask yourself this question: what can I do to be an instrument of energy, life light, creativity,
encouragement, focus, and intellectual energy in this class? Then do it.
During class, you should ask at least one question and make at least one comment every time we
get together. That is your charge. Ask questions. Make comments. Express your opinion. That way, our
class will become an interesting and energetic conversation among interesting and energetic people.
The amount of learning you experience depends a great deal on your thoughtful questions!
During group work and class discussion, your input is especially important. We will work in groups to
review concepts, share ideas, make new connections, follow-up on insights & arguments as well as
encourage and support each other in learning sometimes difficult and sometimes very subtle ideas. This
interaction is one of the most important things we do.
Note on Due Dates
Hard copies of written assignments are due on the designated date at the beginning of class. Papers are
considered late if turned in after the beginning of class. Late assignments will be docked a full grade for each
24 hour period they are late beginning after the start of class. Please avoid last-minute frustrations by
finishing and printing your documents EARLY.
Weekly Analytic Pre-Discussion Papers
It is essential for you to keep up with the reading and to read actively. Active reading means taking notes
as you read, making a list of questions you have as you read, and reading far enough ahead that you have
a chance not only to read but to think about what you have read. I expect that you will have read each
week’s readings for our class meeting of the week (Monday) unless otherwise indicated in the syllabus.
Weekly analytic pre-discussion papers are assignments that integrate the week’s reading material. A good
approach: 1) Essentialize, What are the essential concepts, ideas, insights and how are they connected? 2)
Then Improvise, What are the implications I see which the author does not or did not bring out? You may
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
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view the assignment as writing a critical, introductory preface to each section’s papers that reflects our
growing understanding of “Hollywood” from a sociological perspective. As such, your paper should be
analytical, assume a personal point-of-view, and integrate mention of each reading in the context of that
essay. These weekly pre-discussion notes provide launch points for our class discussion. Each paper
should be between 2.5 and 4 pages in length, double spaced, have one inch margins, and typed in 12 point
type. Papers are due at the beginning of class, weekly, except for the first week of the semester, and will be
the basis for in-class discussion.
Critical Book Review
In addition to the above, almost every week a different student will submit to me a book review (1,000
words max) and present main points orally in class. That means this assignment has two parts: 1) a
carefully and critically written book review, and 2) a clear and compelling oral presentation of the most
important material. Plan to distribute a hard-copy handout to all students which includes 1) full
bibliographic information for the text, 2) a one-page bullet point summary, and 3) any appropriate charts,
graphs and/or illustrations. Book options are listed in the syllabus, and the choice of book is up to you;
however, only one book will be assigned per person. Each review should, where appropriate, integrate the
other readings of the course. Books with their due dates are indicated on the class schedule in the syllabus.
Your book review is to be a maximum of 1,000 words. A suggested structure is below:
FIRST PARAGRAPH identify thesis and whether the author achieves the stated purpose of the
book; provide a description and purpose of the book.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
What is the book about?
Does the book deliver what the title suggests it is going to deliver? Judge the book by its
intentions, not yours.
Does the book do what it says it is going to do?
SECOND (AND MAYBE THIRD) PARAGRAPH summarize the major themes of the book.
What is the book’s argument?
What are the books terms and how are they defined?
What is the academic/philosophical/theoretical lineage or school of thought (context)?
How is thinking about the subject amended/challenged/discovered/expanded/refuted?
Does the book relate to a current debate or trend in the field and if so, how?
NEXT PARAGRAPH identify book’s strengths.
Place the book in the context/texture of its field: importance, place, historical or social
function.
How does the book add to our knowledge?
How is the book a contribution to a sociological understanding of “Hollywood”?
What are the books most outstanding contributions?
NEXT PARAGRAPH identify book’s weaknesses. Don’t focus on gaps and keep criticisms brief as
this should be a minor (but not neglected) aspect of your review.
Does the book cover the ground it should from table of contents?
How accurate is the information (footnotes, bibliography, dates)?
How does the book compare to other books in the field?
Does the book relate to a current debate or trend in the field and if so, how?
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FINAL PARAGRAPH on my assessment of book’s strengths and weaknesses, evaluation.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
How would a person benefit from reading this book?
What core sociological insights emerge?
Should this book be read, and by whom?
How important is this book? Be sure to clearly explain your reasoning.
Finally, keep in mind the basics –
• organize thinking before you write,
• make a good argument,
• write a strong thesis statement,
• make clear claims, and support them,
• do not be afraid to be provocative,
• avoid juvenile "I think, I feel, I believe" trap, or even name calling instead of analytical
insights,
• make analogies that hold up,
• do not trust research sources gained from Google or Wikipedia,
• do trust research from 1) course materials, 2) academic journal articles (e.g. JSTOR is an
excellent database), and 3) scholarly books (books from university presses and other
academic publishers),
• cite properly in-text or in a “bibliography” or “works cited” page,
• write a good topic sentence in a paragraph; structure your paragraph, OR sum it up before
moving on,
• connect ideas in thoughtful, unforeseen, non-obvious ways,
• sequence ideas in a paragraph,
• transition ideas from paragraph to paragraph,
• write a good intro and conclusion.
Thematic Research Paper, Draft & Final
Your term paper provides the opportunity to delve into a topic addressed in the class or to research an area
that is related to the course readings. Some preliminary bibliographic sources are provided in the syllabus.
You must also consult sociological journals and books for scholarly writing relevant to your topic. The
choice of book for your critical book review may be a resource for your thematic paper. And of course, you
should come talk to me as well about your paper topics - well before the topic submission due date.
Regarding the choice of topic, There are essentially two choices in writing your final paper: (1) A paper
based on your intentional and personal empirical experience (archive, interview, survey, field observation,
etc.) this semester dealing on a sociological aspect of the film industry, or (2) A paper primarily on library
rather than field research. In either case, papers should link to class readings and discussions as
appropriate.
The written paper will be submitted twice. First, the paper will be submitted in a complete draft form.
This full draft will be graded and then returned to you with suggestions for further development. It is
assumed that your first submission is developed. It is also assumed that the final paper shows significant
revision based on your continued research as well as continued learning from class discussion and my
comments.
For your final paper, I would suggest organizing your paper as follows:
Introduction (1-2 pages). First state the topic of your paper and briefly situate this topic in terms of
the topics and questions covered during this course. By the end of the second paragraph it is essential that
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you have told me what the purpose of your paper is and what your central argument / thesis is. If you
read the first two paragraphs of your paper and the goals and purpose of the paper are not very clear,
please revise. I would also suggest a “map” paragraph at the end of the introduction that tells me where
we will be going in the paper. (For example, “I first explain….then argue….by presenting evidence about
three themes….”)
Body (7-9 pages). In this section please present and development your argument by providing
several distinct pieces of information / evidence in support of it.
If there is any relevant background to explain about your thesis / argument present that first. (For
example, key terms may need a paragraph to articulate what you mean. Perhaps a brief paragraph or two
about the history relevant to your argument would be necessary). A section providing background is not
essential for everyone. You need to decide whether it is necessary to help your reader(s) understand. Think
of your audience as me and other people in the class.
If much of your paper is based on the analysis of primary sources (newspapers, web pages, etc.),
please be sure to explain how you located them (i.e. what your method was). If you utilized any social
scientific methods, please provide a methodological description. An appendix with appropriate material
(e.g., survey questionnaires, interview questions, coding schemes) may be necessary.
Then develop your argument by clearly presenting the evidence you have gathered in support of
it. For example, if you are comparing two or more arguments, this section will be organized around the
themes around which you are doing the comparison. There are two ways to structure a compare and
contrast paper. Pick the one that works best for you.
Theme 1
Argument/Theory A
Argument/Theory B
Theme 2
Argument/Theory A
Argument/Theory B
etc.
Or
Argument/Theory A
Theme 1
Theme 2
Argument/Theory B
Theme 1
Theme 2
etc.
This is certainly not the only way to structure your paper, and you have the opportunity to craft
your paper as you please. Feel free to use section headings in this section and throughout the paper if it
helps you organize your thoughts and presentation.
Conclusion (1-2 pages): By this point, your argument and all of your evidence should be clearly
presented. Briefly summarize your argument here and think about what the implications of your argument
are more broadly. If your findings raise questions about other topics covered in this class, please make
those connections briefly here. If you have concluded, after writing this paper, that you want to know more
about your topic, explain what the next steps might be. etc.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
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**After you have finished writing your paper, go back and read the introduction, the first sentence
of each of your paragraphs, and your conclusion. From this, the point of your paper should be very clear. If
parts of your argument are embedded in the middle of other paragraphs (so you don’t see them when
doing this little test), restructure your paragraphs. Also make sure that you don’t conclude something that
contradicts or is very different from what you say in the introduction. After finishing their first draft, most
people need to take the conclusion to their paper and use it to rewrite their introduction!
If you want me to help you make a more specific outline / list of questions to answer in your
paper, please let me know. I am happy to work with you on this.
Final Review
There will be no final review. I reserve the right to schedule a final review, however, if you are
not keeping up with class readings.
Policy on Collaboration and Plagiarism
Writing is a collaborative art, especially in this class where discussion groups are built into the
course. Talking about your paper with a spouse, roommate, friend, family member, etc. is also
encouraged, not only for this class, but for other classes that involve writing. You are welcome to work
through ideas with other students. Collaboration is good.
On the other hand, the paper you write must be entirely your own. Passing off somebody else’s
work as your own (because you copied it out of a book, paraphrased it out of a book, bought a paper from
a research paper service, downloaded it form the internet, wrote down ideas that someone else was
dictating to you, recycled an essay written by someone else, or had someone else rewrite your paper for
you) is plagiarism. It is unethical, illegal, and, in a college course, sufficient grounds for failure of the
course. Don’t do it. When in doubt, cite. If you are unsure of something, ask. Diana Hacker in A Writer’s
Reference gives excellent advice on avoiding plagiarism, pages 82-91.
Final Grade
Your final grade for the class will be based on participation in class discussions, weekly prediscussion
papers, a critical book review, completed draft of a thematic research paper and a final thematic
research paper. I will use the following guidelines to grade your written assignments:
A Outstanding Work (90-100%) Goes above and beyond the requirements of the assignment, above
and beyond merely competent work. Outstanding effort, significant achievement, and mastery of the
material of the course are clearly evident in comparison with other students in the course who have the
same assignment, same resources, and same time constraints. Exceptional critical skills, creativity or
originality is also evident. Consistently developed sociological perspective.
B Above Average (80-89%) A “B” paper fulfills all aspects of the assignment and goes bit beyond
minimum competence to demonstrate a thorough and above average understanding of course material in
comparison with other students in the course. Extra effort, extra achievement or extra improvement often
evident. Clearly demonstrated sociological perspective.
C Average (70-79%) A “C” paper fulfills all aspects of the assignment with obvious competence and
grace in comparison with other students in the course. A thorough and satisfactory understanding of basic
course material and incorporation of a sociological perspective. If you do the assignment exactly as it is
assigned, you will receive an average grade; in other words, you will receive a grade of 75.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
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D Below Average (60-69%) A “D” paper represents marginally satisfactory understanding of basic
course material. A “D” may indicate failure to follow directions, failure to implement specific
recommendations, or failure to demonstrate personal effort and improvement in comparison with other
students in the course. Surface level grasp or application of a sociological perspective. Often a “D” is
given either because some aspect of the assignments have not been fulfilled, or because a preponderance of
errors (more than one or two per page) interferes with clear communication.
F Lack of demonstration of satisfactory understanding of basic course material. Failure to grasp or
apply a sociological perspective. Not Acceptable, either because the student did not complete the
assignment as directed, or because the level of writing skill is below an acceptable level for college work.
**All papers and/or reviews must be completed to receive a passing grade in this class**
In addition to these five grades, a student may receive a grade of R. R stands for “Redo” and
means the student has both the opportunity and the responsibility to do the assignment over. Usually this
is given because the student has misunderstood the assignment, or because some particularly egregious
error prevents the paper form achieving its purpose, or because I believe that the student has made a good
faith effort to excel but has run into significant difficulties with the assignments. If you receive a grade of
R, you have 48 hours to contact me for a phone or face-to-face appointment. In our appointment, we will
discuss what went wrong with the assignment, and we will contract a way and a time to redo the
assignment. If you fail to turn in a revision according to the individual contract, the student will receive a 0
on the assignment. My scale for final averages is as follows:
94-100 A
90-93 A-
88-89 B+
84-87 B
80-83 B-
78-79 C+
College, Department and Instructor Policies for Davidson College:
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
74-77 C
70-73 C-
68-69 D+
64-67 D
60-63 D-
0-59 F
A.Please refer the Davidson College Official Record regarding THE HONOR CODE. As members of the
Davidson College community, we are expected to uphold the honor code. In regard to writing
assignments, any student found to plagiarize or cheat will receive an “F” for that assignment and will
be referred to the Dean and Honor Council.
B.Students who will be absent at some point during the semester owing to religious observance are
requested to notify the instructor during the first week of class (or the first week after late enrollment)
in order to make accommodations for assignment or review dates falling during such observances.
C.As a courtesy to the instructor and your classmates, please be sure to turn off cell phones and pagers or
switch them to vibrate mode prior to the start of class.
D.Due to abuse by students in previous courses, laptops and other electronic devices are not acceptable for
use during class. If you wish to take notes, please use paper and pen/pencil.
E.Please be mindful of due dates/times. Submission guidelines for assignments are as follows: All
assignments will be accepted on the due date. Assignments must be submitted no later than the
beginning of the class scheduled on the due date. Late work will be penalized at 10% of the total
value for each day late, beginning immediately during the class on the due date. No work will be
accepted after the last scheduled class of the semester. The instructor is not responsible for lost
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papers. If you are unable to turn in the assignment personally, please your own arrangements to have
the paper submitted on your behalf. Students are strongly encouraged to keep a copy of each
assignment until final grades are recorded. Any exceptions must be approved well in advance of the
due date with the instructor.
F.All major written assignments must be prepared using a word processor (some exercises may be
exempted) and submitted hard-copy. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL PAPERS. The length and content for
each assignment will be discussed in class. Work done for this class is to be original, done exclusively
for this class, and must comply with high standards for written work. The grade for each assignment
will reflect evaluation of expression as well as content. Please proofread carefully for spelling and
grammatical errors. Spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors reduce the quality of your work,
and grades assessed will reflect such errors. Have someone proofread your paper before you
complete your final draft. Also, last-minute, hand-written corrections to final copy are not preferred
but accepted – better to have you catch it than for me to see it.
G.Please note in regard to submission of papers that it is the responsibility of every student to print pages
for course assignments well before (hours or days) they are due. All excuses of “printer malfunctions”
are not acceptable.
H.As discrepancies with regard to grades can occur, it is recommended that students retain all graded
materials until such time as final grades have been sent out.
I.Extra-credit or make-up work is not available in this course. Please make every effort to submit your
assignments in a timely, complete, and professional manner.
J.Office hours and appointments: Since the management of time is critical for student and professor alike,
you are requested to please observe the following guidelines regarding office appointments.
1. Priority: Students who have made appointments with me personally (either in person, by
phone, or via email) will be given priority. This is the best way to ensure time together.
2. Drop-ins: I will be in my office at Preyer 107 during office hours as described at the top of
the syllabus.
3. Non-office hour appointments: Please try to stick to scheduled office hours for
appointments. However, if you find it impossible to schedule an appointment during
regular office hours, I will work with you to find a mutually convenient time.
4. Canceling appointments: If you will be unable to keep an appointment it would be
appreciated greatly if you would contact me via one of the means identified above to cancel
your scheduled appointment. Thank you for your professional courtesy in this regard.
Occasionally office hours may be canceled due to meetings, travel, or emergencies. I will make an
effort to contact you if you have scheduled an appointment during such times. If I am able to remain
accessible on another part of campus, I will indicate my location on my door. Please accept my
apologies in advance for this possible inconvenience.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
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Please Note: Topics & Assignments May Shift; Changes in will be Announced
Date
January
10
January
17
January
24
Topics & Exams Read, Think & Explore Analyze,
Write &
Create
Defining a sociology
of Hollywood.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Holiday.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
Recommended: Andrew Tudor. 2001. “Sociology and Film,” in John Hill and
Pamela Church Gibson (eds.), Film Studies: Critical Approaches. Oxford
University Press, pp. 188-192. (R)
Recommended: Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity,
and Ambition in a Los Angeles Church. New Brunswick: Rutgers. Chap. 1,
“Introduction.”
Recommended: Mark Shiel and Tony Fitzmaurice (eds.). 2001. Cinema and the
City: Film and Urban Societies in a Global Context (Studies In Urban and Social
Change). Blackwell.
Recommended: George Huaco. 1965. The Sociology of Film Art. New York:
Basic Books.
Recommended: Ian Jarvie. 1970. Towards a Sociology of the Cinema: A
Comparative Essay on the Structure and Functioning of a Major Entertainment
Industry (International Library of Sociology and Social Reconstruction).
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Recommended: Andrew Tudor. 1974. Image and Influence: Studies in the
Sociology of Film. London: Allen and Unwin.
Recommended: Norman Denzin. 1991. Images of Postmodern Society: Social
Theory and Contemporary Cinema. London: Sage.
None.
Begin readings for next week, especially Giovacchini. None.
Defining
Richard Maltby. 2003. Hollywood Cinema. Second Edition. Blackwell.
“Hollywood”. Birth of Chapter 1, “Taking Hollywood Seriously.”
Hollywoodland:
Geography, Growth
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 1.
and Urbanization. Saverio Giovacchini. 2001. Hollywood Modernism: Film and Politics in the
Age of the New Deal (Culture and the Moving Image). Temple University
Press.
Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a
Los Angeles Church. Rutgers. Chapter 2, “The Making of a Star.”
Zollo, Paul. 2002. Hollywood Remembered: An Oral History of Its Golden
Age. Cooper Square Press. Pp. 1-51 (skim for highlights). (R)
Bruce T. Torrence. 1982. Hollywood: The First Hundred Years. Zoetrope. Pp.
11-81, 130-134 (skim for highlights). (R)
Recommended: Leo Charney and Vanessa R. Schwartz. 1996. Cinema and the
Invention of Modern Life. University of California Press. (In Davidson
Library)
Recommended: David Bordwell, Janet Staiger, and Kristin Thompson. 1985.
The Classical Hollywood Cinema: Film Style and Mode of Production to 1960.
London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Book Report: Lary May. Screening Out the Past: The Birth of Mass Culture and
the Motion Picture Industry (with a new preface). 1983. Univ Chicago Press.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
Book selection –
or professor’s
book
assignment.
11

January
31
Innovation and
Technology. Theatre
design and audience
participation.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 2, 4.
Richard Maltby. 2003. Hollywood Cinema. Second Edition. Blackwell.
Chapter 2, “Entertainment 1,” and Chapter 8, “Technology.”
Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a
Los Angeles Church. Rutgers. Chapter 6, “Religion Playing at a Theater Near
You.”
Recommended: From: Peter C. Rollins (ed.). 1983. Hollywood as Historian:
American Film in a Cultural Context. Univ Press of Kentucky.
-- Chap. 2, Gomery, “Problems in Film History: How Fox Innovated Sound.”
(R)
Recommended: Vanessa R. Schwartz. 1999. Spectacular Realities: Early Mass
Culture in Fin-De-Sicle Paris. University of California Press.
Recommended: Jostein Gripsrud. 1998. “Film Audiences.” In John Hill and
Pamela Church Gibson, The Oxford Guide to Film Studies. Oxford. (R)
Book Report (option 1): Steve Neale. 1985. Cinema and Technology: Image,
Sound, Colour. Indiana University Press/London: Macmillan.
Book Report (option 2): Melvyn Stokes and Richard Maltby (eds.). 1999.
American Movie Audiences: From the Turn of the Century to the Early Sound
Era. British Film Institute.
Book Report (option 3): Melvyn Stokes and Richard Maltby (eds.). 1999.
Identifying Hollywood’s Audiences: Cultural Identity and the Movies. British
Film Institute.
Book Report (option 4): Bruce A. Austin. 1988. Immediate Seating: A Look at
Movie Audiences (Mass Communication). Thompson Learning.
Book Report (option 5): Melvyn Stokes and Richard Maltby (eds.). 2001.
Hollywood Spectatorship: Changing Perceptions of Cinema Audiences. British
Film Institute.
Book Report (option 6): Douglas Gomery. 2004. The Coming of Sound.
Routledge.
Book Report (option 7): Maggie Valentine. 1996. The Show Starts on the
Sidewalk: An Architectrual History of the Movie Theatre, Starring S. Charles
Lee. Yale University Press.
Book Report (option 8): John Belton. 1992. Widescreen Cinema (Harvard Film
Studies). Harvard University Press.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
12

February
7
The Business of
Hollywood.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 3.
Richard Maltby. 2003. Hollywood Cinema. Second Edition. Blackwell.
Chapter 5, “Industry 1: to 1948.”
From: Steve Neale and Murray Smith (eds.). 1998. Contemporary Hollywood
Cinema.
-- Chap. 2, Maltby, “’Nobody Knows Everything’: Post-classical
Historiographies and Consolidated Entertainment” (focus on main currents,
overarching trends, important references). (R)
From: Robert Sklar. 1994. Movie-Made America: A Cultural History of
American Moves, Revised and Updated. Vintage.
-- Chap. 1, “The Birth of a Mass Medium.” (skim for highlights) (R)
-- Chap. 5, “Hollywood and the Dawning of the Aquarian Age.” (skim for
highlights) (R)
-- Chap. 6, “The Silent Film and the Passionate Life.” (R)
Douglas Gomery. 1982. “The Movies Become Big Business: Publics, Theaters,
and the Chain Store Strategy.” In Gorhem Kindem, ed. The American Movie
Industry: The Business of Motion Pictures. Carbondale: Southern Illinois
University Press.
Book Report (option 1): Janet Wasko. 1994. Hollywood in the Information
Age: Beyond the Silver Screen (Texas Film and Media Studies Series).
University of Texas Press.
Book Report (option 2): Douglas Gomery. 1992. Shared Pleasures: A History
of Movie Presentation in the United States (Wisconsin Studies in Film).
University of Wisconsin Press.
Book Report (option 3): Aida A. Hozic. 2002. Hollyworld: Space, Power, and
Fantasy in the American Economy. Cornell University Press.
Book Report (option 4): Janet Wasko. 2003. How Hollywood Works. Sage.
Pre-Discussion
Papers.
Thematic paper
topic.
13

February
14
Censorship and the
Moral Concern for
Influence.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 11.
Richard Maltby. 2003. Hollywood Cinema. Second Edition. Blackwell.
Chapter 3, “Entertainment 2.”
Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a
Los Angeles Church. Rutgers. Chapter 3, “Love and Hate between Hollywood
and Christianity,” and Chapter 4, “Save the World, Starting in Hollywood.”
From: Matthew Bernstein (ed.). 1999. Controlling Hollywood: Censorship and
Regulation in the Studio Era.
-- Jowett, Garth S. “‘A Capacity for Evil’: The 195 Supreme Court Mutual
Decision.” (note religious factors) (R)
-- Richard Maltby. “The King of Kings and the Czar of All the Rushes: The
Propriety of the Christ Story.” (note religious factors) (R)
Recommended: From: W. R. Robinson (ed.). 1967. Man and the Movies.
Louisiana State University Press.
-- Robinson, “The Movies, Too, will Make You Free.” (R)
Recommended: Larry Ceplair and Steven Englund. 2003. The Inquisition in
Hollywood: Poplitics in the Film Community, 1930-1960, New Edition with
New Introduction. University of Illinois Press.
Recommended: Annette Kuhn. 1988. Cinema, Censorship, and Sexuality,
1909-1925 (Cinema and Society). Routledge.
Book Report (option 1): J. Lewis. 2000. Hollywood v. Hard Core: How the
Struggle for Censorship Saved the Modern Film Industry. New York
University Press.
Book Report (option 2): John C. Lyden. 2003. Film as Religion: Myths,
Morals, and Rituals. New York University Press.
Book Report (option 3): Gregory D. Black, Kenneth Short, Garth Jowett, and
David Culbert (eds.). 1996. Hollywood Censored: Morality Codes, Catholics,
and the Movies (Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication).
Cambridge University Press.
Book Report (option 4): Gregory D. Black. 1998. The Catholic Crusade against
the Movies, 1940-1975. Cambridge University Press.
Book Report (option 5): Steven J. Ross. 1999. Working Class Hollywood.
Princeton University Press.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
14

February
21
February
28
Race and Film. From: Daniel Bernardi (ed). The Birth of Whiteness: Race and the Emergence
of U.S. Cinema. Rutgers.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
-- Bernardi, “Introduction” (R)
-- Taylor, “The Rebirth of the Aesthetic in Cinema” (skim for highlights) (R)
-- Cripps, “The Making of The Birth of a Race: The Emerging Politics of Identity
in Silent Movies” (R)
-- Higashi, “Touring the Orient with Lafcadio Hearn and Cecil B. Demille:
Highbrow versus Lowbrow in a Consumer Culture” (R)
From: Thomas Cripps. 1977. Slow Fade to Black: The Negro in American
Film, 1900-1942. Oxford.
-- Chapter 3, “Two Early Strides Toward a Black Cinema.” (R)
-- Chapter 4, “Black and White in Hollywood.” (R)
Recommended: Thomas Cripps. 1993. Making Movies Black: The Hollywood
Message Movie from World War II to the Civil Rights Era. Oxford.
-- Chapters 3, “The Making of a Genre.” (skim for highlights) (R)
Recommended: From Richard Dyer. 1986. Heavenly bodies: Film Stars and
Society. British Film Institute.
-- Chapter 2. “Paul Robeson: Crossing Over.” (skim for highlights) (R)
Recommended: Priscilla Pena Ovalle. 2010. Dance and the Hollywood Latina:
Race, Sex, and Stardom. Rutgers University Press.
Book Report (option 1): Thomas Cripps. 1993. Slow Fade to Black: The Negro
in American Film, 1990-1942. Oxford University Press
Book Report (option 2): Jesse Algeron Rhines. 1996. Black Film/ White
Money. Rutgers University Press.
Book Report (option 3): Paula J. Massood. 2003. Black City Cinema: African
American Urban Experiences in Film (Culture and the Moving Image). Temple
University Press.
Book Report (option 4): Norman K. Denzin. 2002. Reading Race: Hollywood
and the Cinema of Racial Violence (Theory, Culture and Society Series). Sage
Publications.
Book Report (option 5): Daniel Bernardi (ed). 2001. Classic Hollywood,
Classic Whiteness. University of Minnesota Press.
Book Report (option 6): Lester D. Friedman (ed). 1991. Unspeakable Images:
Ethnicity and the American Cinema. University of Illinois Press.
Spring Break. Read Horne text. None.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
Thematic paper
bibliography.
15

March 7 The Studio Era: Early Hill and Gibson, Chapter 5.
Organizational Issues.
Gerald Horne. 2001. Class Struggle in Hollywood, 1930-1950: Moguls,
Mobsters, Stars, Reds and Trade Unionists. Univ. Texas Press.
March
14
The “New”
Hollywood and High
Concept Movies.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a
Los Angeles Church. Rutgers. Chapter 3 (skim).
Recommended: Nancy Lynn Schwartz. 1982. The Hollywood Writers’ Wars.
Knopf.
Recommended: David F. Prindle. 1988. The Politics of Glamour: Ideology and
Democracy in the Screen Actors Guild. University of Wisconsin Press.
Recommended: Robert H. Stanley. 1978. The Celluloid Empire: A History of
the American Movie Industry. Hastings House.
Book Report (option 1): Margaret Thorp. 1946. America at the Movies.
London: Faber.
Book Report (option 2): Leo Rosten. 1941. Hollywood: The Movie Colony, the
Movie Makers. New York: Harcourt, Brace.
Book Report (option 3): Hortense Powdermaker. 1950. Hollywood the Dream
Factory: An Anthropologist Looks at the Movie-Makers. Boston: Little, Brown.
Book Report (option 4): Douglas Gomery. 1986. The Hollywood Studio
System. Palgrave-Macmillan.
Book Report (option 5): John Izod. 1988. Hollywood and the Box Office, 1895-
1986. London: Macmillan.
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 6 & 8.
Richard Maltby. 2003. Hollywood Cinema. Second Edition. Blackwell.
Chapter 6, “Industry 2: 1948-1980” and Chapter 7, “Industry 3: Since 1980.”
From: Steve Neale and Murray Smith (eds.). 1998. Contemporary Hollywood
Cinema.
-- Chap. 1, Smith, “Theses on the Philosophy of Hollywood History.” (Focus on
main themes and trends) (R)
Justin Wyatt. 1994. High Concept: Moves and Marketing in Hollywood.
University of Texas Press. Pp. 15-22. (be sure to define “high concept”) (R)
Shyon Baumann. 2007. Hollywood Highbrow: From Entertainment to Art.
Princeton University Press. Chapter 1 “Introduction: Drawing the Boundaries
of Art.”
Recommended: From: Kevin Heffernan. 2004. Ghouls, Gimmicks, and Gold:
Horror Films and the American Movie Business, 1953-1968. Duke.
-- Introduction (R)
-- Chap. 3, “’Look into the Hypnotic Eye!’: Exhibitor Financing and Distributor
Hype in Fifties Horror Cinema.” (R)
-- Conclusion, “The Horror Film in the New Hollywood.” (R)
Recommended: From: Steve Neale and Murray Smith (eds). 1998.
Contemporary Hollywood Cinema.
-- Chap. 18, Grant, “Rich and Strange: The Yuppie Horror Film”. (R)
Recommended: Todd Berliner. 2010. Hollywood Incoherent: Narration in
Seventies Cinema. University of Texas Press.
Book Report: Thomas Doherty. 2002. Teenagers and Teenpics: The
Juvenilization of American Movies in the 1950s, Revised and Expanded.
Temple University Press.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
16

March
21
March
28
Film Consumption
Practices and the
Cultural Hierarchy of
Aesthetic Tastes.
Occupation and Roles
in the Motion Picture
Industry.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
Shyon Baumann. 2007. Hollywood Highbrow: From Entertainment to Art.
Princeton University Press. Chapters 2 – 5.
Recommended: John Lewis, ed. 1998. The New American Cinema. Durham:
Duke University Press.
Book Report (option 1): Stephen Neale. 2000. Genre and Hollywood
(Sightlines). Routledge.
Book Report (option 2): J.P. Singh. 2010. Globalized Arts: The Entertainment
Economy and Cultural Identity. Columbia University Press.
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 7.
Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a
Los Angeles Church. Rutgers. Chapter 5, “Celebrity, Heartache, and the
Pressure to ‘Make It.’”
Richard Florida. 2002. The Rise of the Creative Class: And How It’s
Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life. Basic Books. Pp.
28-30. (R)
Daniel H. Pink. 2001. Free Agent Nation: How America’s New Independent
Workers are Transforming the Way We Live. Warner. Pp. 16-20. (R)
Susan Christopherson and Michael Storper. 1989. The Effects of Flexible
Specialization on Industrial Politics and the Labor Market: The Motion Picture
Industry, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 42, No. 3 (April), pp. 331-
347. (R)
http://www.jstor.org/view/00197939/di009060/00p0346i/0?config=jstor&fra
me=noframe&userID=982a9001@davidson.edu/01cc99333c0050323a&dpi=3
Book Report: Mike Nielsen and Gene Mailes. 1993. Hollywood’s Other
Blacklist: Union Struggles in the Studio System. London: British Film Institute.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
17

April
4
Fame, Celebrity and
the phenomenon of
stardom.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 9.
Joshua Gamson. 1994. Claims to Fame: Celebrity in Contemporary America.
UC Press. Pp. 21-28; 40-44; 57-78; 104-107. (R)
From: Chris Rojek. 2001. Celebrity. Reaktion Books.
-- Chap 1, “Celebrity and Celetoids.” (skim for highlights) (R)
Barry King. 1986. “Stardom as an Occupation.” In Paul Kerr, ed. The
Hollywood Film Industry: A Reader. London: Routledge. (R)
From: Richard Dyer. 1986. Heavenly bodies: Film Stars and Society. British
Film Institute. Pp. 2-18. (R)
From: Richard Dyer. 1995. Stars. British Film Institute. Pp. 1-53. (R)
From: P. David Marshall. Celebrity and Power: Fame in Contemporary
Culture. University of Minnesota Press. 1997.
-- Chapter 1, “Tracing the Meaning of the Public Individual.” (skim for
highlights) (R)
-- Also, pp. 52-56, “Celebrity as a Form of Rationalization.” (R)
-- Chapter 7, “The System of Celebrity.” (R)
Leo Braudy. 1986. The Frenzy of Renown. Oxford. Pp. 548-598. (try to jump
to significant points, avoid extra verbiage) (R)
Kerry O. Ferris. 2001. “Through a Glass, Darkly: The Dynamics of Fan-
Celebrity Encounters.” Symbolic Interaction. Vol. 24, No. 1, Pages 25-47. (R)
From Richard Schickel. “Intimate Strangers: The Culture of Celebrity.” Fromm
International Publishing Corporation.
-- Chapter 1, “Magic Bullets.” (skim for highlights) (R)
Recommended: Gorham Kindem. 1982. “Hollywood’s Movie Star System: A
Historical Overview.” In Gorhem Kindem, ed. The American Movie Industry:
The Business of Motion Pictures. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University
Press.
Book Report (option 1): Danae Clark. 1995. Negotiating Hollywood: The
Cultural Politics of Actor’s Labor. Univ. Minnesota Press.
Book Report (option 2): Richard Decordova. 2001. Picture Personalities: The
Emergence of the Star System in America. University of Illinois Press.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
18

April
11
April
18
Fame, Celebrity and
the phenomenon of
stardom, con’t.
Globalization and the
Worldwide
Hollywood Presence.
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a
Los Angeles Church. Rutgers. Chapter 7, “Fade to Black,” and Chapter 8,
“Becoming Champions of Life.”
James Surowiecki. May 28, 2001. “Hollywood’s Star System, at a Cubicle
Near You.” The New Yorker. P. 58. (R)
From: Martin Barker and Austin Thomas. 2003. Contemporary Hollywood
Stardom. Oxford.
-- Introduction, pp. 1-24. (R)
Brenda R. Weber. 2009. Makeover TV: Selfhood, Citizenship, and Celebrity.
Duke University Press. Introduction, Chapter 1.
Recommended: Alan Schroeder. 2004. Celebrity-in-Chief: How Show Business
Took Over the White House. Westview.
Recommended: John Corner and Dick Pels (eds). 2003. Media and the
Restyling of Politics: Consumerism, Celebrity and Cynicism. Sage.
Recommended: Orville Gilbert Brim. 2009. Look at Me!: The Fame Motive from
Childhood to Death. University of Michigan Press.
Book Report (option 1): Paul McDonald. 2000. The Star System: Hollywood’s
Production of Popular Identities. London: Wallflower Press.
Book Report (option 2): Christine, Gledhill. 1991. Stardom: Industry of
Desire. London: Routledge.
Book Report (option 3): Jackie Stacey. 1994. Star Gazing: Hollywood Cinema
and Female Spectatorship. Routledge.
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 12.
From: Global Hollywood. By Toby Miller, Nitin Govil, John McMurria, and
Richard Maxwell. London: British Film Institute. 2001.
-- Chap. 1 & 2. (note main points & significant trends) (R)
From: Steve Neale and Murray Smith (eds). 1998. Contemporary Hollywood
Cinema.
-- Chap. 4, Balio, “’A Major Presence in All of the World’s Important Markets’:
the globalization of Hollywood in the 1990’s”. (R)
From: Robert Sklar. 1994. Movie-Made America: A Cultural History of
American Moves, Revised and Updated. Vintage.
-- Chap. 13, “Selling Movies Overseas.” (skim for highlights) (R)
Recommended: Asu Aksoy and Kevin Robins. 1992. “Hollywood for the 21 st
Century: Global Competition for Critical Mass in Image Markets.” Cambridge
Journal of Economics, vol 16, no. 1, pp. 1-22.
Book Report (option 1): Kristin Thompson. 1986. Exporting Entertainment:
America in the World Film Market, 1907-1934. University of California Press.
Book Report (option 2): Melvyn Stokes and Richard Maltby (eds.). 2004.
Hollywood Abroad: Audiences and Cultural Exchange. British Film Institute.
Book Report (option 3): Andrew Higson and Richard Maltby (eds.). 1999.
“Film Europe” and “Film America”: Cinema, Commerce and Cultural
Exchange, 1920-1939 (Exeter Studies in Film History). University of Exeter
Press.
Book Report (option 4): Ruth Vasey. 1997. The World According to
Hollywood, 1918-1939. Univ. Wisconsin Press.
Book Report (option 5): M. Pendakur. 1990. Canadian Dreams and American
control: The Political Economy of the Canadian Film Industry. Wayne State
University Press.
Recommended: Pierre Sorlin. 1990. European Cinemas, European Societies
1939-1990. London: Routledge.
Recommended: Geoffrey Nowell-Smith and Steven Ricci. 1998. Hollywood
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
Thematic Paper
Draft due.
Pre-Discussion
Paper.
19

April
25
May
2
May
6-11
Dr. Marti, Soc 380 Seminar
and Europe: Economics, Culture, National Identity, 1945-95. London: British
Film Institute.
Recommended: K. Moti Gokusling and Wimal Dissanyake. 1998. Indian
Popular Cinema: A Narrative of Cultural Change. Trentham Books.
Recommended: Vijay Mishra. 2001. Bollywood Cinema: Temples of Desire.
Routledge.
Easter Break Please continue readings for next week. None.
Hollywood and Fame:
Propaganda,
Economics, Religion,
Identity, and Social
Change.
Hill and Gibson, Chapter 10.
Gerardo Marti. 2008. Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a
Los Angeles Church. Rutgers. Chapter 9,” Conclusion: Religion in the Era of
Identity Commodification.”
From: Peter C. Rollins (ed.). 1983. Hollywood as Historian: American Film in
a Cultural Context. Univ Press of Kentucky.
-- Chap. 7, Cripps and Culbert, “The Negro Soldier (1944): Film Propaganda in
Black and White. (R)
Richard Maltby. 2003. Hollywood Cinema. Second Edition. Blackwell.
Chapter 9, “Politics.” (skim for highlights)
Optional: Cathy Lynn Grossman, “Churches making mainstream films to
attract souls,” USA TODAY, 7/19/2010.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-07-19churchmovies19_CV_N.htm?csp=usat.me
Recommended: Stephen Vaughn. 1994. Ronald Reagan in Hollywood: Movies
and Politics (Cambridge Studies in the History of Mass Communication).
Cambridge University Press.
Recommended: Clayton R. Koppes and Gregory D. Black. 1982. Hollywood
Goes to War: How Politics, Profits and Propaganda Shaped World War II
Movies. New York: Macmillan.
Book Report (option 1): F. Wasser. 2001. Veni, Vidi, Video: The Hollywood
Empire and the VCR. Univ. Texas Press.
Book Report (option 2): Alan Williams. 2002. Film and Nationalism (A
Volume in the Depth of Field Series). Rutgers.
Book Report (option 3): Mette Hjort and Scott Mackenzie (eds). 2000. Cinema
and Nation. Routledge.
Book Report (option 4): Giuliana Muscio. 1997. Hollywood’s New Deal
(Culture and the Moving Image). Temple University Press.
Pre-Discussion
Portfolio.
Final Review Period. None. Final Thematic
Paper due May
6.
20